I hope you are enjoying the party. Today, I am posting more excerpts from my new release, Play With Fire.

The book is part of a new multi-author series, Set In Stone. The book titles are song titles.

Only dragons should play with fire.

B.J.

Princess Raen has lost everything — her parents, her home and her kingdom. She places her life in the hands of the only person she can trust. Her hero wears armor, but he does not arrive on a white stallion. He flies and breathes smoke.

Arsdon finds the city of Tylis in ruin and the princess he secretly loves in mortal danger. Keeping the promise he made to the dying queen becomes a true conflict between love and duty. Protecting the princess is an honor. Loving her is easy. Suppressing his desire is impossible. Giving her up — heartbreaking.

Praise for Play With Fire

“I think readers will embrace this love story with open arms.”

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amethyst Nymph

EXCERPT 1

The finality of the moment slammed into Raen. Her father and mother were gone. Never again would she hear their voices or see their faces. The last images of her parents were brutal, but she’d remember them forever. A sob tore through her, raking her heart. Raen threw herself at Arsdon and clung to him.

He held her tight against his chest, his hands stroking her back. She sought the warmth of his body, but his thin armor shielded her from his heat. Arsdon buried his face in her hair. She turned and pressed her lips to his. Death had taken everything away from her and she needed life. She needed Arsdon.

The heat of his kiss reassured her and banished the fear of a future without her parents. The simmering longing within her flared to life. His kiss deepened, giving her a taste of passion. Burning with desire, Raen moaned and clutched his shoulders.

He stiffened and released her. “Forgive me, Princess.”

“My mother had faith in you. While we huddled in the darkness of the safe room, she assured me that you would come.”

“It is my duty to serve you as I served your mother.”

Despite his protest, his green eyes were fiery. It wasn’t hate or revenge she saw in his eyes, but passion.

“I knew you would come for her. I hoped you’d come for me, too.”

“I would fly through Hell for you. You are my liege.”

“What is a princess without a realm?” She ran her fingers through his hair, something she’d wanted to do for months. “Call me Raen.”

“I cannot.”

She caressed his cheek. His skin was hot. “I want to be more than an obligation.”

Arsdon caught her hand and pulled it away. “You’re cold. Come, the fire will warm you.”

He continued to hold her hand until they arrived at the camp. The smell of meat teased her nostrils. The carcass of a small animal roasted on a spit made of sticks. She’d never had to spend a night in the wild, but Arsdon had the necessary skills to live off the land. She’d never wielded a sword or learned to fight, skills her mother possessed. She’d been raised to be a lady and was ill prepared for the future. Everyone she knew and depended on was dead or gone, except for Arsdon.

She sat down next to Arsdon. Firelight danced over his handsome face. The dragon was her last connection to her family and her past. The irony of her life was bittersweet. She’d been in awe of Arsdon for most of her life and in love with him for over three years, since the day she’d twisted her ankle and he’d carried her from the public garden all the way to the palace.

“Remember the day I fell in the garden? You came to my rescue.”

“I did what any loyal subject would have done.”

“You carried me all the way to palace.”

Despite his physical strength, he held her as if she were made of glass. She’d slipped her arms around his neck and their gazes had met. An awareness of one another bloomed and from that point on she’d sought out his company. Looking at Arsdon set her heart aflutter. Being around him made her warm all over.

“I was honored to come to your aid.”

“You honored me with friendship, treated me with kindness, but you have been avoiding me of late.”

“I apologize, Your Highness. I’ve had little free time.”

“My father kept you very busy, away from the city.”

“I cannot speak of my duties.”

Her parents had noticed her growing affection and her father had made it clear that a relationship with Arsdon wasn’t acceptable. The dragon her father would never consider for a suitable husband was all that she had left. The life her parents had wanted for her would never be. “I’ve missed you, Arsdon. You are all I have left.”